Moving Rear Wheels

super99 · Jun 28, 2021

I want/need to set the wheels in on my Oliver 1550. The U bolts in the clamps are rusty and stuck tight. I loosened the nuts and have heated the clamps and when they cooled enough, I stuck a candle against the bolts and got some wax on them. I beat on the U bolts with the brass hammer to no avail. My cutting torch runs on LP , can I get them hot enough with it to get them loose?? I have an air chisel that I could hammer on them with but I dont want to mess up the threads. Any suggestions???Thanks, Chris

Rodney51Cub · Jun 28, 2021

What works for me when moving rear wheels is soak in PB Blaster.
Let set over night then a block of wood and a big hammer.

Den N Ms · Jun 28, 2021

super99,You could try and drive it forwards and backwards and hit the brake hard on that wheel to break it free.

old · Jun 28, 2021

Heating them up and pour ATF on them while hot and then drive it around a bit with the nuts loose but not so loose as to have them fall off

Roger Tomfohrde · Jun 28, 2021

Not sure how far you are going in but it looks like if you switched wheel from side to side it would be around 6 inches per side. Wheels look dish to the out side now. May be that is too far.

glennster · Jun 28, 2021

chris, try the backside of the u bolt with the air chisel. see if you can get a little under it, then pull the chisel out and tap it back in. repeat till you work the bolts loose. use a blowgun too to get the debris out.

super99 · Jun 28, 2021

The centers are dished in. I turned the single bevel rims around before I mounted the tires so the valve stems are on the outside instead of on the inside.

Leroy · Jun 28, 2021

If your torch is a full size cutting torch and not a small hand held torch then on LP you could get things hot enouth to cut the wheel into pices that you do not want to do. Scrap yards only use LP on theit yorches to cut up junk for sending it out to the place to bet it melted down to make new steel. Friend has a small scrap yard and that is all he uses to cut every thing up.

rustred · Jun 29, 2021

Ur not trying hard enough. Have the nuts flush with threads. Take a 4 lb hammer have someone hold it on the nuts. Then u take a 10 lb hammer and smack them they will be loose. Plus if you remove the wheel out of the way lots easier with more room. Brass hammer on those is not going to do it. Dont need heat dont need oil. Once they move u can pound them back and forth with light oil. Remove nuts then pound them out with brass punch.

MarkB_MI · Jun 29, 2021

Don't bother heating the hub, as it's too big. Focus on heating the back side of the clamps. Once you have a clamp cherry red, you should be able to hit its nuts with a BFH and knock the clamp loose.

caterpillar guy · Jun 29, 2021

I'd put some diesel fuel on the bolts from the back with the nuts down then with a jack push up on the bottom. then hit the bolts with a hammer. Let the tractor do the work. Jacking might even be all that is needed. I'd let the fuel soak over night if possible. Fill the pocket right up with fuel. I've found diesel fuel will get in where most other stuff will not. It will soften the crude in there as well as lubricate it some. No pounding or messed up threads. Now if your in a hurry then by all means use an Oak block and pound away on the nuts. keep the nuts flush with the end of the threads though.

oldwrencher · Jun 29, 2021

find some freeze-off and let it do it's work also had good results on a stuck by. 30 inches pto shaft soaking it with kroil but it took three weeks former boss admitted freeze-off was better than his favorite and he didn't give up easily

KenL · Jun 29, 2021

On my 880, I soaked them for a week with Kroil then beat on them with a 4lb sledge. They wouldn't budge. I took the fender off for more room and beat them with a 12lb sledge. Finally got them out. Went to a truck frame shop and had new U bolts made.

rrlund · Jun 29, 2021

I'd take the wheel off first thing. Last ones I moved, I didn't do the bolts and nuts any good, but after a good application of heat, I got the nuts flush with the threads and wailed on them with a sledge hammer a couple of times. They popped loose.

Mike(NEOhio) · Jun 29, 2021

My centers are opposite of yours and I can't get a wrench on the one closest to the flange. And two of the larger wheel bolts have to be backed off, they overlap the U-bolt nuts and there isn't much room to swing the wrench. Some day when I have enough time (and strength) I want to take the centers off. I have to replace the axle seals.

showcrop · Jun 29, 2021

2X what rustred said. When you have the nuts even with the end of the bolt it is very hard to damage either.

rrlund · Jun 29, 2021

Chris, it's your tractor and your time, but I was looking at pictures of your tractor on the Oliver forum. I know it'd muck up your new paint, but can't you just take the rims off the centers and swap sides? My 1550 and 1600 both have the rims set in on the centers. Hard to tell with the mud.

DoubleO7 · Jun 29, 2021

If worried about air chisel damage on the ubolt nuts, use two other nuts that fit.
Weld a heavy washer or other piece of metal on nut to make an area to air hammer on.
That way the original nuts and the end of ubolt does not get any divets at all.

GaryinKs · Jun 29, 2021

A carbon-arc torch will heat the nuts faster and hotter

ss55 · Jun 29, 2021

Back the nut off just a bit and then drive the tractor through some sharp turns with the turning brake locked. The stress will pop the clamps loose.

Janicholson · Jun 29, 2021

Best answer. Easy and harmless to threads. Jim

Janicholson · Jun 29, 2021

Using the air hammer or? with the U bolts pointed downward, and the weight on the axle pushing up also assists in the movement. Jim

Moving Rear Wheels

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